The Boy with the Death Mark
by Yer a wizard Holly
Summary: Claudius, a mute boy who was clueless of anything magic, was a boy that no one held any curiosity in- that was before he was accepted into Hogwarts and strange things began to happen. Yes, Harry Potter may of been famous for defeating Voldemort when he was only a baby, but no one had ever heard of Voldemort's son. Then Claudius was attacked one day, and everything fell to pieces.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only the story. But I think that's pretty obvious.**

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><p>"Let go!"<p>

"No! I'm not leaving you!"

A young boy with bright blue eyes and black hair clung precariously on the edge of a cliff, his hands clasped around those of a slightly older girl's. Both children were crying; the girl sobbing as the last few seconds of her life ticked by, the boy screaming for someone anyone to help him. In the near distance, the Dark Lord Voldemort watched in amusement, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"His powers are already showing, I told you he is too strong," the woman next to Voldemort muttered, grinning herself as a particularly loud shriek pierced through the air. "Imagine how it will be when he is older; he could even kill you, my lord."

"That won't happen if the eye patch works, Bellatrix. And I know it will."

"Of course it will work; it _was_ made by you, my lord."

As they spoke, the boy felt himself being dragged forward, more hot tears falling down his cheeks and soaking the ground beneath him. His sister was trying desperately to find some handhold or jutting rock to lean against, but the cliff was unnaturally smooth.  
>They were going to die.<p>

"Claude, please let go. Please."

"No. I told you I wouldn't leave you."

They had felt the cliff begin to crumble under their shared weight, loose stone falling over the edge. The girl had screamed in fear, staring wide-eyed at the boy who was acting as her life-line. If he were to let go, then she would die. If he were to not let go, then they would both die.

Then, the cliff edge had crumbled completely, and they had begun the descent to their death.

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><p>For some reason, the boy had noticed how small the trees below them seemed; smaller than ants, yet every leaf stood out to him clearly.<br>Was this how it felt to die? To see every small detail, no matter what, and to feel your mind try to find a way to save you-

And then he remembered that he couldn't die.

He had remembered all of it at once, a spell his father had taught him months ago- it was about how to fly in the air. Closing his eyes, he mouthed the words, ignoring the way they practically flew out of his mouth thanks to the winds that whistled past him. A tingling feeling, like a cloud of butterflies, started in his stomach and began to make its way to the rest of his body. Time seemed to slow down as the once quickly approaching ground seemed to slow down until he hovered, inches away from it.

He was alive.

Black smoke surrounded him, but only him, his sister's body lay mangled only meters from his. Her brown eyes were empty, lifeless, and her auburn hair couldn't cover the amount of damage she had suffered. Two bones pierced through her usually blemish-free skin; one between the joint of her thigh and calf, the other halfway down her forearm. Blood dripped from between her parted lips, along with several cuts scattered across her body, and her nose had been completely shattered. A large dent indicated her skull was also cracked, and her blood slid down her face like red tears.

And yet, with all of this to see, child naïvety won over, and the boy was at his dead sister's side in a second.

"Mariette?" His voice was a whisper, but the silence that followed was worse. His arms cradled her torso to his chest, he felt himself crying even more now, as the situation finally dawned on his younger, innocent mind.

His sister was dead. And she wouldn't ever come back.

He was alone.

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><p>When the boy returned to his father, he felt both Voldemort's and Bellatrix's eyes land on him. His sister's blood covered his hands (both literally and figuratively) and the smoke still surrounded his small feet.<p>

"Well done, Claudius, your father and I are very pleased. First your mother, then your sister too, now you're without weakness." He was being praised by this woman at having not been able to save his sister, and smiled proudly at by his father, Voldemort. He felt sick, the copper smell of blood filling the air, and his sister's dead body still too fresh in his mind. These people should've been crying, or at least shocked, he had thought, but his sister's life was nothing more than a hassle to be dealt with.

His mind urged him to jump off the cliff too, to not try to save himself, but he forced himself not to, with great difficulty.

"Come now, we need to have your eye patch sorted before you are to be given to the Muggles. Your power is surprisingly strong, and without weakness you are even stronger, but I don't need you anymore, fortunately."

The boy had remained silent, fearing that he would speak again and someone else would be killed. His words had meant that he had lived whilst she had died, his sister had died from being his weakness, it was all his fault, and yet no one seemed to care. His sister was nothing special, her life was irrelevant, and now he was going to be thrown away too, discarded like a piece of trash.

Alone.

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><p>That day, the boy named Claudius had vowed to never speak again, and promised that he would never again use magic. No one else would die because of him, he wouldn't cause others pain, and his sister's life sealed the promise.<p>

But the child of a wizard as powerful as the Dark Lord can never really escape magic. It was just a question on when he would finally use it again- but that wouldn't happen for another ten years.

Right now, though, as Claudius watched the scenery around him change, the same words swirled around his head. He killed his sister, he killed his sister, he killed his sister.

And that thought terrified him more than any punishment ever could.

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><p><strong>Author Note:<br>Hey guys! Great to be back! And in a whole different genre too :D! This is just a prologue on setting things up, don't worry, magic appears almost instantly accompanied with a massive time skip. All the lines and stuff will appear less too, so it'll be less... blocky? I don't know how to explain...  
><strong>

** ANYWAY...**

**Review if you would like, it's greatly received and tells me you enjoy the story. Criticism is also highly appreciated too, it tells me how to make my writing better for you readers. Hope you enjoyed reading this prologue, had a ton of fun writing it.  
><strong>

**Goodbye :D**


	2. Chapter One

**Sorry for being a tad late in updating, but I had to completely rewrite this chapter as I didn't like it originally.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, sadly**

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><p><em>Ten years later…<em>

Claudius Grey wasn't exactly what you would call a 'normal' child, but he wouldn't be what you would call a 'strange' one either. His eyes were a dark blue, almost black, and one of them was covered by a silk eye patch; he had a thin, wiry build and his body was angular with no visible muscle.

But that wasn't what was weird about him.

No, what was weird were the many scars that decorated his torso; some thick and deliberate, others only a pale line to act as a reminder of the past. He had scars that vaguely spelled out words such as 'Pureblood' and 'Mariette', whilst most just seemed to display a weird criss-crossing pattern that spread from his wrists to his shoulders and down to his waist. The doctors had passed it off as an abusive parent incident, but something in those few words sent Claudius into a dark part of his mind, where nothing but images of black smoke and brown eyes greeted him. He couldn't remember why he saw such things; all he knew was that they terrified him- especially the brown eyes…

Claudius looked to the clock which hung opposite him in the school office, sighing when he realised that more than twenty minutes had passed. His arm stung terribly, the blood on his lip dry but metallic, and he was developing the kind of headache that throbbed on the back of his eyes and skull. All in all, he felt like utter crap.

"Didn't think you'd ever get a detention, mute."

There was, of course, a whole other reason for his negative thoughts and appearance, and that reason was currently sitting beside him. It was a tall boy with brown hair the colour of mud, his personality wasn't much better either, and was one of the many bullies Claudius had. This one had seemed particularly interested in Claudius' muteness, constantly teasing and referring to it at any given state. The several teeth he had were an off-white colour, and shone in the light whenever he smiled. Claudius didn't mind thinking that he was like a bulldog, spitting everywhere and barking at those who came near; like most of the boys in his school.

"Get in a fight? Caught in the girl's bathroom? Or did they finally think of just kicking out your retarded ass?"

He bit back the urge to flip off the bulldog boy, focusing his energy on the book that lay in his lap, but stood the moment the bulldog tried to touch him. The last time someone had touched him he had ended up with a broken arm and bloody nose, and, though they were in school, the bulldog didn't seem to really care about his surroundings.

_"How long until I can return home?"_ he handed the note to the receptionist, watching as she practically fell out of her chair by his appearance. If it wasn't his eye patch that disturbed people, it would be any of the scars that people had seen; the receptionist had noticed his hand so it must've been the scars.

"You can return home now, the headmaster has sorted out things between you and some of the…" she purposefully glanced behind him to bulldog boy "… other boys."

_"Okay, thank you ma'am."_

He picked up his rucksack, not noticing the small blue tag that had been attached to the zipper, nor the way bulldog boy kept looking at him strangely. Tucking the book underneath his arm, Claudius waved goodbye and walked out of the school office back to the Orphanage he called home.

He didn't notice that his scars had began to glow.

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><p>The alley it happened in was five streets down from the Orphanage; wedged between the Domino's pizza shop and an old second-hand music store. Overflowing dumpsters rested against the walls of the pizza shop, pieces of trash strewn messily across the ground, and the putrid stench of mould hung in the air like a cloud.<p>

Claudius still hadn't realised the blue tag on his rucksack, and so neither did he know that this one thing would seal his fate.

Between two dumpsters stood a tall boy with blonde hair and green eyes, hands curled into fists as he waited for his prey to appear. He wore a tattered hoodie, ragged jeans and scuffed trainers; the attire chosen in case any more blood would spill. Tucked safely away in his hoodie pocket was a Swiss army knife, the largest blade already selected, and all he had to do was wait.

After only a few minutes he heard his prey, completely oblivious. Vulnerable. Weak. A perfect target.

"Hello, mute." The blonde boy hadn't thought of waiting, choosing instead to watch as Claudius widened his eyes in fear and took a step back. Right into the arms of another brown-eyed boy.

"Scared are we?" Claudius had spun round and, with a surprising amount of courage and strength, shoved the brown-eyed boy off him. He had felt a hand wrap around his neck soon after, fingers tightening around his throat, the person obviously enjoying the sight of Claudius' desperate attempts of breathing.

"Don't be worried, it won't hurt long. If you'll let us cut your throat, you can die, and maybe we can finally hear you speak."

Black dots circled around his vision, but he was released before he passed out. Whoever had attacked him wanted him to be awake, wanted him to feel every second of the pain, just for their own entertainment.

These people were sick bastards, and Claudius hated every one of them.

His scars glowed a dark green.

Another boy slammed his foot into Claudius' stomach, adding as much weight as he dared, smiling when a sickening crack was heard. Claudius felt a whimper pass his lips, a sharp pain pressing against his lower chest, and knew that the boy who had kicked him had definitely broken one of his ribs. How he was going to explain that to the Orphanage, he didn't know.

"Hurt, mute?"

"Why don't you speak? Tell us to stop or call for help?"

"He can't. He's too retarded."

Though his eyes were closed, Claudius knew that he and the three boys weren't alone. More laughter than what could've escaped the three boys was heard by Claudius in his vulnerable state; and that was confirmed when a new boy forced his teary eyes open.

"Look at him- he looks like an idiot."

Picking him up by the scruff of his shirt, Claudius felt his back slam against the wall behind him. He was staring wide-eyed at the boy, grimacing when his rib protested to the sudden change, watching the boy raise his fist to attack.

He closed his eyes- he didn't know his scars had begun to glow bright white, neither that his limbs were moving on their own accord. That was until he heard a yell, and his eyes snapped open again.

The boy still looked angry, but now shock was slowly taking over his expression as his fist began to lower itself. Silent words passed Claudius' lips, forming from memories of the past, and a chill crept up his spine. Part of him told that this- whatever it was- was wrong, but another part told him to keep going. For some reason, Claudius chose his darker side, a smile spreading across his lips.

His scars shone a pale blue.

He had missed this.

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><p>The boy who had tried to punch him was first to go; he was closer to him than the rest and was already scared enough. Raising his freed hand, red sparks shot out from his fingertips, striking the boy square in the chest. A second later, the boy was on the ground; screaming and crying in pain.<p>

Claudius was free- but he wasn't finished.

The blonde boy tried to attack him next; slicing the air with his knife, but the weapon flew out of his hand before it could even reach Claudius' body. Smirking slightly, Claudius allowed the boy to look stunned for a moment, his head whipping round to where the knife had landed, and repeated the spell again. Just like the previous boy, the blonde one dropped to the ground, tears running down his face from the pain.

"Mark? John? You guys okay?..."

One after another, each boy dropped to the ground, until only one was left. The bulldog boy from before wasn't moving- it didn't seem he could- but his hands were held in front of him as if to protect himself. He was repeating the same apology over and over again, crying loudly and rocking back and forth. If he hadn't been such an ass to Claudius in the past, he may have been concerned for the bulldog's safety, but now all he could do was laugh.

"Please don't h-hurt me. I'm sorry, I won't call you m-mute ever ag-"

He was cut off, though, by the multitude of coloured sparks that wrapped around his head. Without even realising what he was doing, the bulldog picked up the abandoned army knife and slid it over his wrists, a gasp alerting his reawakening as Claudius took his spell off of him.

Blood stained the ground as the bulldog fell to the dirty floor below; surrounded by his unconscious friends.

Claudius smiled.

His scars turned red, and then faded back to normal.

He left the alleyway, and the boys behind him.

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><p>The next morning was a nightmare; he had woken up to one of the younger orphans jumping onto his bed and hadn't been able to get up as another held down his arms. Both were laughing and smiling- which annoyed Claudius to no end- until finally they had gotten bored and wandered off to wreak havoc on some other poor soul.<p>

He had lain in bed, motionless; scared to move if his rib told him not to, or move so a carer didn't get confused as to how he behaved. And, after many minutes spent in his own personal debate, he had slid away from his source of warmth, falling painfully onto the floor. Whimpering, the pain in his chest he had expected didn't arrive- but it still hurt like hell.

The boy he had killed would never feel pain again.

Stairs creaking softly, Claudius had trudged down the staircase of the Orphanage, biting back the urge to smack some of the other kids as they rammed into him on their way to the dining room. Every step hurt, his breathing became laboured, and Claudius began to seriously consider if he should've or not quickened his pace, fearing that he would faint before he got safely away from the stairs. Luckily for him, the pain was enough to keep him awake and conscious; if not in slight discomfort.

"Hey look, mute, got a letter for you," a boy with dark skin and even darker hair held out a small envelope, black words inked and slightly smudged on the front. With a teasing grin, the boy waited for Claudius to go for the letter before pulling it back, remembering to keep it out of Claudius' reach as the boy was quite short for his age, and chucked it to girl further into the room. Before Claudius could protest, and argue the letter was his- which it was after all, the girl had already opened it and had begun to read its contents.

"'Dear Claudius Grey, it has come to our attention that, due to a stunt pulled recently, your place in our school has been neglected-'"

"Mute's going to a school for something he did?! I knew he was supposed to be at one of those schools for people with special needs!"

"Be _quiet_, David, I'm not done yet! Hey, someone hold back mute before he knocks Dave out!" Claudius felt hands grab at his clothes and wrists, immobilising him. "Anyway, as I was saying: 'Because of your age, it may seem hard to adjust to the ways of our school, but I'm sure you will fit in well-"

"It's _so _a special needs school!"

"-So, after much consideration, we are pleased to inform you that you have been given a place in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Term begins September 1st; we hope to see you there."

The whole room was silent as Claudius was handed the letter, a look of bewilderment appearing on everyone's faces. He read over the small letter again, sure the girl had gotten it wrong. A school for wizards? Wizards… were still alive? There were more like him?

"Hope you're all ready for breakfast- hey!"

Claudius shoved the carer out of the way, ignoring his shout of disapproval. His chest heaved, his heart heavy, and he felt like he was going to be sick. There were wizards out there, people with powers like him. There were powerful ones and weaker ones, all taught in a school made just for his kind. Good and bad wizards, smart and dumb ones, he was one of them. He wasn't completely alone.

Claudius locked his bedroom door and slumped on his bed. When he had woken up, he had expected a normal day; but now, his life had changed. For better or for worse, he wasn't sure.

He picked up the letter one more time, his eyes scanning everything from the words to the wrinkles in the worn paper, even checking the seal as if he knew whether it was real or not.

There was no doubt about it, it was real.

But that didn't mean he had to go, right?

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><p><strong>So, yeah, that happened. Don't worry about when the characters appear, a certain bearded wizard and blonde boy will come in the next chapter. (I'm so bad at giving clues).<strong>

**Just for those that may not know, **_italics _**are used for when Claudius is speaking as he doesn't speak out loud, only on pieces of paper or hand signs. Or, of course, on exaggeration on other characters' speaking.**

**If you would like to leave a review, please do. It encourages me to keep writing and tells me you like the story. You don't even need to login, just leave a review as a guest! :D**

**Have a good day/night. -Holly**


	3. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me**

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><p>"Claudius, someone is here to see you."<p>

It had been two weeks since the letter incident, and Claudius had forced himself to forget about it. He had no interest with anything the wizarding world had to offer; and when the letter had arrived, Claudius' nightmares had become worse. The letter meant bad thoughts- so it was best to think it didn't exist. At least, that's what Claudius believed.

"He says he belongs to a school that sent you a letter? He is here since you didn't reply and your deadline was three days ago." The teacher was a middle-aged man with greying hair; he had acted as Claudius' counselor for quite some time.

_"I didn't reply since I had no interest in the school."_

"The school is a prestigious academy for those who are highly gifted in the arts! If you were to go to the school, you would practically be given a job the moment you left!"

_"But-"_ he had begun to write a reason to why he refused to go when the counselor had leaned forward and snatched the paper from his hands.

"Claudius, I know you are very talented in both drawing and writing, despite your subjects being dark and strange. This school specialises in artistic classes, you will be surrounded by those with talents like yours, and be given the chance to expand your horizons. This is the perfect chance, Claudius, the perfect chance-"

_"I DON'T WANT TO GO!"_ he hadn't bothered to write anything down, choosing to mouth the words and slam his hands on the desk. The room had been silent as he had calmed down, his breath and the ticking of a clock being the only sounds in the room. There had been a pause, Claudius moving to sit back down, when the door had opened and a strange man had walked in.

"Is everything alright? I heard a slam and wanted to see if something went wrong."

The man certainly looked like someone who may belong to an academy; shoulder-length black hair, an unhealthily thin body and draped in robes that touched the ground around him. If had not been for his black eyes, the man could've been a close relative of Claudius, as they seemed quite similar in both body and appearance.

"Nothing is wrong; the boy is just easy to anger."

"Oh, this is the boy, Claudius Grey? I heard that you are very talented in the arts, I'm here to help you get your school supplies."

_'School supplies?'_ Claudius thought _'Did they agree for me to go to that school without asking me first? Were they trying to persuade me to go, so that I didn't refuse when a teacher came for me?..."_ He felt a presence behind him, and stared at the strange man, reading the list he had placed in front of him.  
>"Since you are joining in our third year, you've missed some important lessons, so you will have more books to get than other students. You are to read all first and second year books before coming to Hogwarts, unless you would like to be behind others of your age and embarrass your house. Understand?"<p>

Claudius had nodded, though he felt severely unnerved. The man didn't seem to realise that enough pressure was already on Claudius as a transfer student going to a boarding school, let alone the fact that the classes they were taught were so different, he probably was more dim-witted than most of the first-years.

"Now, if you are done reading the list, we should be going to get what you need. I'd rather get this over and done with, my ideal way of spending my own time isn't chaperoning an insolent child."

Oh god, he _really_ didn't like this man.

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><p>They had been allowed to leave school grounds to collect supplies; the man, Snape he had said, had explained that it was best if they got their equipment as quickly as possible. And now, dodging between the various venders, ducking underneath low-hanging signs, and walking down one confusing alleyway to another, Claudius could completely understand.<p>

"It'll be good to see if your parents left anything to you in Gringotts; the goblins would probably recognise someone like you."

That had been a few minutes before, when they had wandered down an alleyway leading from a pub, and ended up in the middle of a street. Snape had lead the two to a white building made of marble, rolled his eyes and tutted at the goblin at the entranceway, and then proceeded to saunter to one of the many goblins behind the desks.

"This boy is called Claudius Grey," Snape had pushed Claudius so that the goblin at the desk could see him, "I was wondering whether he has a vault or-"

"It's _him!_" the goblin has squealed in delight, rushing away from his desk to shake Claudius' hand. "We've been waiting for you, oh yes we have!"

Turning to lead the two towards the vaults, Claudius couldn't help but grin at the goblin's hurried pace. He seemed to almost be _skipping_ down the marble corridors, whistling a happy little tune as he went. His short stature, long nose and pointed ears contrasted greatly with the huge smile on his face.

"I'm so happy for you to come, yes I am. The vault was becoming hard to keep safe, it was."  
>Claudius glanced back to Snape's confused face. Good, he thought, he wasn't the only one utterly confused by the goblin's way of speech. And then there was what he was saying too; should he have been worried at how the goblin described his vault?<p>

His eyes widened when he heard the word dragon pass the goblin's lips.

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><p>Vault 982.<p>

_"Why does the track end here?" _

"This is the most protected vault in Gringotts-" the goblin had set down his torch and pressed both of his hands on the vault door, "It's also the most dangerous, so we thought it should've had the top protection."

_"Why does it need to have so much protection?"_

"Oh, you'll understand."

The door opened and large yellow eyes stared at him; a pair belonging to a creature covered in gold coloured spikes and midnight black scales, whilst the other belonged to a similar creature with scarlet skin and smaller spikes around its snout. The red one seemed more hesitant of the two, crawling back slightly as its protuberant eyes scanned Claudius, Snape and the goblin. Behind it were dull red eggs speckled with gold spots, so Claudius presumed it to be guarding its unhatched children.

The black creature, however, had no problem with pouncing onto Claudius' much smaller body and licking his face. It was around fifty feet high, its body twisting awkwardly so it could stare at Claudius, and smoke leaked out of its nostrils at an alarming rate.

What _were_ these things?

"Why is there a Hungarian Horntail and Chinese Fireball in his vault?!" Snape shouted, staring intimidatingly into the goblin's fear-struck eyes. "And why are neither of them attacking us? The Horntail should have already burnt us to death!"

Claudius stared at the black-scaled creature. A Hungarian Horntail; something that should've killed him, and very easily it seemed. The Chinese Fireball was the red one, and, seeing how its name had the word 'Fireball' in it, the creature could've killed him easily as well.

"Why are its eggs like that?"

"Just collect whatever money you require and leave."

The vault was full of gold, the few silver and bronze coins standing out amongst the rest. Bones littered the floor, most animal, some frighteningly like those of a human. Torches were put everywhere, the goblins had seemed to want to block out every bit of darkness they possibly could, and a burnt cloth bag lay next to an unlit torch.

Scooping up a handful of the gold coins, Claudius slid off his school backpack. He was surprised by the curious glances he got when he took out his phone, but when Snape actually stared in shock at his textbooks, he had to wonder yet again what this school possibly taught.

_"Who left this money for me?"_ After more than eleven handfuls of coin had filled his backpack and it looked like he hadn't even made a dent, the amount he had was becoming ridiculous.

"We don't know exactly- lost count after the first thousand or so Galleons were added by your mother. Half of it was for your late sister, so you inherited that as well. The dragons made it so it was hard to keep track, they're not usually _this_ friendly.

"You are going to take the dragons, right? It's becoming hard to pay for their food and now that they have children, it's going to become even harder."  
>"We'll take the dragons. Claudius can decide what he wants to do with the eggs- they're not useful to us."<p>

And that's how Claudius, a thirteen year old boy, ended up with more money than he had even had in his backpack and three hybrid dragon eggs in his arms.

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><p><strong>Okay, so Snape appeared instead- sorry!<strong>

**This story will become a weekly update, the next chapter will be out next Tuesday, and I will continue to think of name for the hybrid dragon eggs. So far, the best one i have is Hungarian Fireball- which sounds too much like an innuendo for my taste.**

**Please review if you want to!**

**-Holly**


	4. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: I only own Claudius (wait, that sounds really creepy)**

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><p>Claudius had never felt more ridiculous than he had felt now, wandering aimlessly through King's Cross Station and constantly glancing to the glass roof of the train station to see if his dragons- <em>his dragons<em>- were keeping out of sight. He didn't know exactly where Platform 9 ¾ was- and what didn't help was how every once and a while he would notice a student, who definitely had to be a wizard judging by their clothes, would suddenly disappear almost into thin air.

He dared to sneak a look at the time: _9:58 a.m._ Two minutes left. Fuck.

"Sorry!"

He felt himself be pushed over by someone much taller than him… or so he thought. In fact, that someone was someones; two identical boys with bright ginger hair and freckles had pushed into him, lanky arms fumbling to help him up. He sighed in relief- the two seemed to know their way around at the very least, and their bags indicated that they were also like him.

_"It's okay. Do you know where Platform Nine and Three Quarters is?"_ he wrote down, handing it to the closer one of the twins. He watched as the two grinned at each other then towards him, oh god, had he done something wrong?

"Seems we got a first-year, George."

"Pretty tall for a first-year, Fred."

"You can never tell these days, George, all of them l-"

Growing impatient, Claudius reached over and waved his hands in front of the two boys faces, trying to get them to realise the more important issue at hand. It had seemed to work, much to his surprise, since the two had turned around to yell at a family that a 'first-year needed help' and that they were 'going to help the kid'. The family must have been theirs, the ginger hair and freckles were a dead giveaway, along with the fact that Claudius had felt himself suddenly being dragged towards them.

"Okay, so first-year, first thing you do is-"

"George! You're scaring the poor boy!"

"I'm _Fred_."

The woman who had spoken to George (or Fred depending on who it was) had looked down in concern to Claudius' confused face. He had been dragged to the wall between Platform 9 and 10 and, quite weirdly, been shoved towards it. Spinning round, Claudius had no time to recover, as the small shove he had been given had taken its toll, and he was now falling _through_ the wall.

Had the wizards who had enchanted the god awful wall thought to make it less terrifying to walk through? Apparently not.

"Are you okay?"

He froze when an extremely worried voice met his ears. It hadn't come from either of the twins (from hell, might he add), and the voice didn't sound too old to be a teachers', which meant only one thing- he had already embarrassed himself by falling through a wall, but had now probably lost all chance of becoming anyone's friend.

Brilliant.

His eye met those of a girl his age; but unlike his usual bored expression, hers had a slight twinge of underlying emotion. Humour? Worry? Anxiousness? She had dirty blonde hair that reached down to her waist, accompanied with silvery grey eyes that seemed to shine dully. A necklace adorned with a cork hung around her neck, but the radish-like earrings that dangled loosely from her ears seemed even weirder.

"_I'm fine,_" Claudius mouthed, pushing himself and the girl away from the floor. She took two steps back, allowing Claudius to notice that she wore only one shoe, and grinned faintly.

"I haven't seen you before. What house are you in? I'm in Ravenclaw, for some reason. My name's Luna, 3rd year, you?"

He handed her a note he had written previously for this type of situation, watching as she took it in confusion. He already was fully aware of the school's ways of approaching problems like his muteness (which was having no solution and leaving him to mouth and write words down) so he couldn't be bothered having to have a full length conversation with someone he held no interest in.

The girl smiled when she finished, and he couldn't help but feel at unease. Maybe she was a bully? A quirky bully that only wore one shoe and had earrings made out of food because her family was too poor for her to buy a proper pair of shoes. Or maybe she was bullied too and they could become friends.

He dismissed the second thought; the school was a place of magic, surely this girl Luna couldn't be the weirdest person to exist.

"So your name is Claudius?" she asked, smiling even wider when he nodded nervously, "And you can't speak, can you?" He nodded again, even more suspicious. "You must meet my dad, you can tell him about what you encountered to make you lose your voice, and then it'll go on page three!"

He had _never ever_ thought of telling anyone about why he had lost his voice, mainly because he just didn't want to speak, but this girl was insisting that he did.

"Imagine how proud your parents would be if they found out you became famous for losing your voice."

If his father ever found out, he would be furious.

"Or how famous you'd be for not being able to speak- just like Harry Potter and his scar! Even if you didn't defeat You-Know-Who when you were a baby, it'd still make really big news. 'New Disease Steals People's Voices'! Imagine the press-"

_"No."_

He shoved the girl aside, not too hard so that she'd get hurt, but not too lightly either. He saw her confused expression change into shock for little under a second, but then it returned to a lazed smile that seemed to be a much better fit for her face. Claudius sighed and rolled his eyes, changing the positions of one of the two bags he carried with him, before heading into the train.

An owl fluttered down the corridor, carrying a message between its beak.

Owls for post. Magic. Dragons. This world was just… weird.

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><p>The boy with him was what Claudius would call 'a posh brat', flaunting his money and complaining about his Nimbus Two Thousand. The boy was a Pureblood, it was one of the first things he had said to Claudius, but he could tell that this boy wasn't just a Pureblood, but an absolute pain as well. The way he had looked horrified at the amount of bags Claudius had, commenting about how Claudius' robes were too short (due to the fact that Claudius had passed a second hand robe store and loved any type of bargain) and asking repeatedly about the weird eggs Claudius had with him.<p>

Claudius couldn't speak, but if he could, he would have told the boy and his friends to just shut up and leave him alone. He had left the introduction note with Luna, had spent too much of his energy trying to find the train's platform, and a feather from some owl refused to leave the fibres of his robe. This day, along with the boy, was turning out to be exactly what Claudius had expected- a complete headache.

"So, what's your name? My name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Brilliant, the boy was a big fan of James Bond.

_"Claudius Grey."_

"Grey? Like the colour?"

This boy was an idiot; he could see what Claudius had written down since _he had written his name down on a piece of paper._ If he had said it, Claudius would've understood, but it was written down on a piece of paper that the James Bond fanatic was currently holding.

He was surrounded by a bunch of idiots wielding powers that could probably kill him. Magic that could kill him- given to hormonal teenagers with emotions and hatred since 'no one understood them'. This whole school was the stupidest idea he had ever heard of, and now he was to attend it.

And suddenly, Claudius had an epiphany: he was probably going to die in this school.

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><p>The boys had finally decided to leave him alone after weaselling a couple more answers from him; in exchange Claudius now had some time to think, and a few sweets that Crabbe and Goyle had said were Chocolate Frogs. Chocolate or not, he wasn't eating a frog, and had traded in the sweets for the cards they came with. A picture of the supposed headmaster of his school smiled up at him through the moving picture, the information about him glowing faintly. None of the information was particularly useful, so the card soon ended up in his pocket, Dumbledore looking quite ticked off when he was folded in half. It wasn't his fault that he didn't need the card, but he couldn't help but wince when he was shot a deadly glare by the bearded man.<p>

Hopefully, when he finally saw the Headmaster, the man wouldn't have a fold across his shoulders.

As the day became dark, and Claudius began to think that he could live on this train and may have to with how long it was taking, a cold chill spread up his spine. He wasn't the only one to feel it, Draco and his two goons were looking around hurriedly for its source.

Then, the compartment door flew open, and a dark creature wearing black shot at him.

The creature looked at him, reaching out to touch his face. Its skin was grey, it looked to be rotting off the bone, and the creature was shockingly cold. Claudius shuddered as he felt his head being lifted to stare directly into the hooded creature's face, looking into what he thought was the thing's eyes.

He stared at the creature as it tried to feed off his happy memories, smirking slightly as it got more and more impatient with him. It wasn't like his life was complete misery, but happy moments were few and far between.

The hand around his throat loosened, until the creature let him go.

**"Hello, my Lord. You are still weak. I will fix that."**

The creature reached forwards, its hand hovering over Claudius' covered eye, and an almost snapping feeling filled his mind. He remained silent, but Claudius suddenly knew exactly what this creature was, and what it had been doing before.

What he didn't know, was how this creature- this _Dementor_- had spoken to him without moving its lips.

**"I must go. Do not forget our deal."**

The Dementor left through the open compartment door, turning its hooded head once more to look at Claudius.

It almost seemed to smile.

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><p><strong>Done! Sorry for the way this and last chapter have been, but I've started to really get into this story as I've passed the introduction (thank god). <strong>

**Bold writing is when Dementors speak if you didn't understand.**

**Claudius acts quite weird in this chapter due to the fact that he was pushed through a wall and is a new student. Don't worry, he gets less 'prima dona' really quickly.**

**Expect much more magic and ****_really_**** awkward moments with Claudius as I'm not letting him have an easy ride in my story.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading!**

**-Holly**


	5. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter nor Alice in Wonderland doesn't belong to me**

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><p>Draco wouldn't talk to him after the Dementor left, choosing to ignore him for fear that Claudius knew something he didn't. His two goons were ignoring him too, muttering amongst themselves and Draco, sending glances every now and then towards him. His name floated to his ears every few minutes, but soon the books he had brought with him caught his attention more.<p>

The train ride went on; the day becoming darker, and raindrops beginning to fall. He had finished his previous book, had gone through his Charm Book, and was now reading chapter seven of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland._ He almost smirked about how much he could relate to the characters:

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><p><em>'<em>_There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. "Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse," thought Alice; "Only as it's asleep, I suppose it doesn't mind."_

_The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it: "No room! No room!" they cried out when they saw Alice coming. "There's PLENTY of room!" said Alice indignantly, and she sat down at one end of the table._

_"__Have some wine," the March Hare said in an encouraging tone. Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. "I don't see any wine," she remarked._

_"__There isn't any,' said the March Hare._

_"__Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it,' said Alice angrily. _

_"__It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited," said the March Hare.'_

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><p>"Are you reading a Muggle book?" Crabbe asked, staring at Claudius with wide eyes. He didn't know exactly what a Muggle was but Draco seemed to think it was an awful thing to be.<p>

"You said you were a Pureblood." (He didn't know what Pureblood was either). "Why do you have a Muggle book? Were you raised by Muggles like Harry Potter? If you were, you have a lot to learn, and I'm not going to help someone who talks to Dementors."

"Me either," added Crabbe and Goyle, looking down at him through narrowed eyes and turning back to Draco. They didn't speak to him again- but this wasn't really a punishment to a person who wouldn't be able to speak.

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><p><em>'"<em>_I didn't know it was YOUR table," said Alice; "it's laid for a great many more than three."_

_"__Your hair wants cutting," said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech._

_"__You should learn not to make personal remarks," said Alice with some severity; 'it's very rude."'_

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><p>Eventually, the train began to slow down, and they entered the station.<p>

"Firs' years this way!"

The station was too small for the amount of people crowding on it; students clinging to the edges, lugging luggage and animals behind them. The rain blew against their tired bodies and wind whipped against their faces, drenching many and leaving others cold. Claudius was almost pushed over by the demon twins from before, but he wasn't helped up by them like last time, and he was suddenly grateful for meeting Draco despite his cold attitude.

"O', thanks!" the extremely tall man thanked Claudius, bushy beard moving with his words, when he handed him the bag of dragon eggs. One meaty fist went out to shake his own, but the crowd pulled him back in before he could 'talk' with him any longer. Neck craning, he could see the man was looking happily towards a group of three his age, the bag of dragon eggs tucked under his arm. "All righ', you three?"

"Why are you talking to that oaf, Hagrid?" Draco asked accusingly when the crowd seemed to thin out. Carriages pulled by skeleton horses stood before them, students of different ages piling into them, laughing and chatting amongst themselves. Animals of different kinds protested to being handled roughly, and a boy accidently pushed into Claudius whilst yelling after a toad. "Ignore him," Draco said when he saw his expression; "He's a Squib, really."

Carriages began to fill out, but Claudius couldn't stop staring at the horses. Some part of him remembered seeing these before, a drawing at a museum he presumed, but they seemed even more magnificent in person.

"Amazing, aren't they?" a familiar light voice asked, the owner staring at him from an open carriage door. Her grey eyes twinkled, blonde hair matted on her head due to the rain, and she smiled wider when he nodded. "They're called Thestrals; you see them when you witness a death. I think they're amazing, do you?"

_"__Yes, they're very strange,"_ he answered, clambering into Luna's carriage and smiling towards her. _"Does everyone see them? Or is it just us?"_

"Just us."

_"__Wow, that's amazing."_

She grinned at him, reminding him that not everyone hated him- yet. There was no one else in the carriage, and older years wouldn't dare be seen riding with younger students, so Claudius and Luna were left in peace. She explained it was because she was seen as weird, and usually no one chose to sit with her in the carriages, and Claudius didn't know anyone else yet.

Outside, the scenery slowly changed. The path led to large iron gates guarded by Dementors; the hooded figures nodding at him especially, their bodies emitting a cold chill. As they passed, the Dementors stared at him through veiled darkness, reaching towards him almost expectedly.

**"****Hello, my lord. We are waiting for our payment."**

They stayed where they were, but didn't stop staring at him until the carriage was no longer in their sights. Down a cobblestone path lit up by the occasional torch, winding its way down a sloping road, soon reaching Hogwarts castle. Luna explained what the school was, loosely describing the castle and adding many different rumours that her and her father believed. A creature called Nargles were a pest in the school, and Luna gave Claudius a piece of string with a cork attached as they left the carriage, saying it would ward him off.

Smiling, Claudius tugged the charm over his head, knowing that Luna wasn't a bully, but maybe even his friend. She waved goodbye, grinning widely when she left, saying that they could talk tomorrow or if he got put into her house.

He hoped that he would be.

* * *

><p>"James Pond."<p>

He watched the first-years next to him, hopping around and muttering with each other. Even though he was short for his age, he stood out amongst the eleven year olds around him, rolling his eyes when they looked at him like a sort of God. Eyes closed, breath even, Claudius couldn't believe how calm he was with the amount of chaos surrounding him. It reminded him of the Orphanage, but somewhat worse.

A boy with dark blonde hair and brown eyes wandered up to the Sorting Hat, pulled it on his head, and then smiled when he was placed in Ravenclaw. The house he got cheered, greeting him with open arms, and he was placed among his people. This had been going on for half an hour, and Claudius still couldn't get over the fact that _hats_ could talk- and were even in charge of what house students got. It was ridiculous, leaving it to a sentient piece of clothing, than a teacher who would certainly make a better choice.

But it was the wizarding world, and there was _quite _a lot of things that they done weirdly.

One after another, child after child sat down until only he was left. The teacher didn't even need to open their mouth; he walked on stage with his face tinted pink. This was demeaning, why didn't they let children like him be sorted separately? He wasn't being a brat, no, this was a honest question. He was a new student, shouldn't he be treated differently, have a teacher with him to help him?

"Claudius Grey."

He sat down, feeling the hat be placed upon his head, and waited for his house (hopefully Luna's) to be called out. Two seconds passed, three, four, five, ten- then a voice flitted into his ear.

"It seems that your bloodline is quite a confuddle, hybrid are we? Confusing, thoroughly confusing."

This wasn't normal. The hat wouldn't stop talking to him, its whispers echoing in his mind, discussing with him what house he should belong to. He couldn't concentrate; not when every student was staring at him in curiosity, not when this _thing_ was talking to him. Only one thought passed his head: this wasn't normal, but he wasn't normal either. Maybe, just maybe, this hat could sense it like the Dementors, but something about this was different.

"You hold quite a substantial amount of knowledge, fast learner too, so you would be perfect for Ravenclaw…"

This wasn't normal. How could this be normal?

"Bravery from Gryffindor…"

No, this was too much. He wanted it to stop!

"Nothing from Hufflepuff-"

Without thinking, Claudius reached up and grabbed the hat by its rim. He heard gasps and someone yelling about what he was doing, but that fell on deaf ears. He wanted this to stop, and this was the best chance he had. The hat fell on the floor, skidding slightly across the polished wood, before crumpling to a heap. He felt eyes on him as he raised his hand, flames curling round his fingers, but he was stopped before he could burn the hat to a crisp.

"The boy is in Slytherin! No other house would dare do such a thing!"

The grand doors opened, and a boy with black hair, a girl with bushy brown hair, and a strict looking teacher walked through. The three looked surprised by him trying to burn the hat, yelling along with everyone else about what he was doing.

The teachers stared at him, the students laughed at him, and the hat remained silent as he passed to his house.

He didn't belong here.

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><p><strong>Chapter Four done in time! :D<strong>

**Thanks for ten reviews! It's awesome to see people like my writing!**

**(Hopefully i didn't make Luna or Draco too OOC, but it can't be helped)**

**-Holly**


	6. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

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><p>"We've prepared a schedule for you that's quite easy to follow; the core subjects like Charms, Potions and Transfiguration, but you choose any two or more of these subjects as extra lessons.<p>

"Might I suggest _Care of Magical Creatures_? It is one of the easier lessons and is taught by Hagrid; the man you gave the dragon eggs to. It is interactive and would be a perfect lesson for you as it is not required that you speak constantly. Of course all subjects are equally good, but many are harder than others."

The man in front of him was the Headmaster Dumbledore, but the man didn't act quite like Claudius expected. He wasn't strict like his old principal, but both had grey hair and long beards. Long purple robes hid his body from view, but the sleeves were too long and kept sliding down so his hands were covered. He looked quite like Yoda from _Star Wars_ whenever that happened, and it had started to occur just as had Claudius begun to be told off, meaning the boy was having a hard time not to laugh.

"Now, I must say that, due to the circumstances of you coming to this school, I understand that you do not know our ways. But, and this is a very big but, you will_ not_ dare destroy the Sorting Hat or anything else of that sort. The Sorting Hat may seem quite strange, but to hate it to such a degree to want to _burn_ it, I must say I am very surprised."

Dumbledore sighed at the boy, closing his eyes and opening them yet again. He wiped the grime off of his glasses, rested them against his desk, and then pinched the bridge of his nose. The boy was strange; unlike every other student at the school, it was unknown what he had done to join. The Ministry of Magic said it was classified, and just to keep a close eye on the boy to make sure he didn't do too many weird things. It didn't help that he seemed to be able to cast nonverbal, wandless magic, and the spells he knew how to cast were dangerous- but the Ministry just kept denying letting Dumbledore know anything. Whether this was good or not, Dumbledore wasn't sure.

"You can choose what electives you want to take, and we will inform the teachers of your… predicament. After you have chosen, you will go to the class with a student who also takes it or be left to find it by yourself. Understand?" Dumbledore felt annoyed at himself for being so offhanded towards the boy, but he couldn't be sure whether he was actually a danger to others or not. What if he tried to hurt the other students? It would explain why the Ministry may not have told Dumbledore, and could be the reason behind the eye patch he wore. But then, shouldn't he still know what Claudius did to get in the school? He should- shouldn't he?

Claudius could feel the teacher staring at him and shifted around uncomfortably. It was like how he felt around his old headmaster: awkward and confused. He was probably being judged, maybe by the scars on his hands or his eye, or the way he couldn't speak. It wouldn't be anything new, but any type of judgement was still judgement, and for a headmaster to do such a thing was almost cruel.

'_Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Divination, Study of Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures,'_ all scrawled across the parchment he was given. Some sounded harder than others, like Dumbledore had said, so Claudius began to believe that what he had suggested would be better to choose. Instead, like many of the choices he made, Claudius simply closed his eyes and stabbed the parchment with his quill, choosing what it landed on: _'Divination, Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures,'_- not bad, not bad at all.

"Oh, so you chose Divination? That will begin in half an hour in the North Tower; ask for Knight Cadogan if you get lost."

_"Oh, okay." _He began to walk away from the teacher, nodding towards Fawkes the Phoenix as he did so. It had taken a liking to him for some reason, and, like many other animals, wanted to interact with him. Ever since he was young, Claudius had been better at making friends with animals than humans, and that didn't seem to end at Muggle animals.

The phoenix squawked at him in reply, flying towards Dumbledore for something afterwards.

Claudius sighed when he left, but he was extremely nervous. He didn't even know where the North Tower was, nor who Knight Cadogan was. Maybe he was a painting, it _would_ make sense, but then could a _Knight_ know where to go?

He groaned in annoyance. How did Muggle wizards adapt so well to this school?!

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><p>"We're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"<p>

Claudius wanted to scream out 'Knight Cadogan where are you?'; he had spent twenty five of his thirty minutes trying to find the man in question or the North Tower, but he couldn't find either. Luna nor the twins were nowhere to be found, and Draco still seemed to not be bothered to help him, so he couldn't ask someone he knew. The questioning voice had startled him, but he had seen the three in the feast yesterday, and they were also looking for the North Tower. Perfect.

He watched the exchange between the three wizards and the knight, waiting to follow them. They probably wouldn't want to help him because he was in Slytherin (the 'bad' house, he had found out) and the fact that he almost burned the Sorting Hat, so this was the next best thing.

"On foot then, my gentle sirs and fair lady! On! On!"

Silently, Claudius followed the three, stopping whenever they did and holding his breath whenever their dialogue dwindled to a stop. His lanky body and black hair made it so he faded into the background, and his naturally light weight meant his footsteps weren't too loud. _If I wasn't a wizard, I could've been a good stalker,_ he thought jokingly, smiling at the truth behind the thought. The trio never noticed him, never heard him, nor did the knight. The perfect stalker- a pleasant thought to have.

He counted to ten after the trio entered the classroom, pacing back and forth at the entranceway. He could hear the teacher's voice waft out of the open trapdoor, welcoming her students and asking them to sit. _I should go now,_ he thought sullenly, _or I may be forgotten entirely._ He pushed himself up the ladder, and then almost fell back down when the room's scent finally hit him.

"Ah, Claudius Grey," the teacher said, watching with keen eyes as he approached, "I was wondering how long it would take you to come into my classroom.

_"Hello, ma'am."_

"So polite, yet you are the same boy who tried to destroy the Sorting Hat." Snickers followed that statement. "Come, sit."

He sat down; ignoring the curious glances he received from various students. Professor Trelawney carried on; proclaiming different events that were to occur and asking students to get things for her. He could see the questionable glances the woman received, and couldn't blame the students for being so wary; the teacher looked strange and acted crazy, and it didn't help that she grinned almost maniacally when he brought out his wand.

"Silver lime wand," she remarked, reaching forward towards Claudius. "It works best for Seers, did you know?"

_"No…"_

Professor Trelawney glanced around at the students who had paired themselves up. It was an odd number, and it had left Claudius with no one to go with. _This is no different to my old school,_ he thought, sipping the tea he was handed and staring at the many ornaments around the room. _Except the way they do things is just odd._

"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!"

Claudius sighed, staring into the cup's content, but it wasn't that which caught his eye.

* * *

><p><em>Darkness. Absolute darkness. The kind that swallows you, and leaves nothing else but the fragments of a broken soul.<em>

_Claudius could see nothing but darkness._

_And suddenly, light. But not the light that shines in your eyes, blinds you, yet leaves the twinges of hope still holding in your heart. No, cold light, dark light; the light which scratches at closed eyelids, flickers in empty nights, the kind that promises nothing but misfortune ahead._

_The light took a shape of a girl. The girl was screaming._

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><p>The scream became more real, until Claudius realised that the teacher was creating the ear-piercingly annoying noise herself. She was muttering about a 'grim', arguing with the brown-haired girl, and then being cut off by the black-haired boy. Claudius remembered faintly what their names were; Harry, Hermione and Ron- but what he had seen was what was making him shake violently.<p>

The cup fell from his hands, causing the class' attention to be directed to him.

Tears fell down his cheeks as he silently walked away from the mess he had created. Hands trembling, he slowly wrote down a note, but the words were so crooked he was sure the teacher wouldn't be able to read it.

"You… you saw darkness?"

_"And a light, but it was a girl and she was screaming. That's… that shouldn't happen right?"_

"No, it shouldn't." Professor Trelawney bit her lip, and looked towards the trapdoor. "If it has scared you too much, then you should visit Madame Pomfrey and she shall write a note for you to miss class. Otherwise, you may go…"

Hesitantly, the class filed out of the classroom, and Claudius was left to close the trapdoor on the way out.

"Oh, and dear," Professor Trelawney called out, appearing above him. "Be sure to come to this lesson and listen to what I say. I think you may have the Gift."

The trapdoor slammed shut.

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><p><strong>I really liked writing this chapter since Professor Trelawney is (for some reason) one of my favourite characters.<strong>

**Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites, it means a lot :D**

**-Holly**


	7. Chapter Six

**Sorry for the update taking so long! My computer flipped out and i had to reinstall A LOT of programs, and then i had to buy Word again and just.. ugh.**

**But i'm back! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or NO ONE WOULD'VE DIED ! :(  
><strong>

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><p>The paths around Hogwarts were confusing; some ended abruptly, some lead you to the middle of nowhere, and a few eventually dwindled down to nothing but grass after years of overgrowing.<p>

Claudius was ten minutes late to a 'Care of Magical Creatures' lesson, but the teacher already seemed in a state to not even notice him. As he rushed with caution (you never could be exactly 'safe' in Hogwarts) towards Draco, he noticed how every student was very carefully opening their books.

"… Try and rip our hands off!"

He brought out his own book, yelping when the thing tried to snap at him. One of the nicer students quickly helped him open his, but didn't even meet his eyes when he tried to say 'thank you'- probably due to the fact that Draco was grinning at him whilst commenting on the idiocy of the teacher. The book tried to bite him when he was given it, and Draco and his two goons laughed at him when he struggled with the weird creature.

"Well done, Claudius," Draco laughed. (He had gotten past the incident with the Dementor, and was talking to Claudius once again.) "Be careful with the book, wouldn't want you to be hurt because the idiot's trying to be funny-"

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid shouted in enthusiasm. Long chains led to creatures that looked quite like a failed hybrid experiment; with a body half horse and half eagle. Talons that varied in colour, along with fur and feathers covered mutated bodies that walked strangely. Beady eyes set atop large beaks stared at the shocked students, and their wings ruffled threateningly. "Right- who wants ter go first?"

As Harry set off to the excited shouts of the other students, Draco tutted, "It's so easy to ride one of these creatures, Potter isn't special."

_"Though scary, the creature appeared nice, so he didn't really do much. Bravery was all he needed, and he's a Gryffindor, so he should be brave as his house states so."_

"Exactly! Why does everyone think of him as a hero? He defeated You-Know-Who when he was a baby, he didn't _do_ anything, just acted like a child would."

_"Who's You-Know-Who?"_

"Voldemort, Lord Voldemort."

Harry returned, and the class cheered yet again. Claudius, accompanied with the three Slytherin boys, refused to congratulate him- but Claudius for the reason that he couldn't create sound. The class set to work; some with their own Hippogriff, others joined with students and in groups. He watched Draco talk to the Hippogriff, smirking and teasing it after it bowed. With one hand he petted its beak, and he grinned back at Claudius in triumph. Crabbe and Goyle smirked at the other students, petting the Hippogriff and chuckling when Neville ran away from his.

"Too scared, Claudius?" Draco asked. "Or are you like Neville and don't want to get hit?" Claudius hesitated, looking down and shrugging his shoulders. "Come on, it's easy. The big brute won't hurt you-"

The Hippogriff reared back on his hind legs, its screeches akin to the wailing of an eagle. Talons sharp and menacing, the Hippogriff landed with perfect aim and scratched deeply into Draco's arm. The blonde boy jumped back, shock written over his face, and wailed as he blotted out the blood on his arm, "I'm dying! It's killed me!" The black sleeve was soaked and wet, slightly darker than the dry cloth surrounding it, and Draco was groaning about the pain. Claudius couldn't help but roll his eyes as he took out a roll of parchment, yanked the moaning boy's arm forward, and began to wrap the paper like a bandage. Blood soaked through but stopped after a few seconds, causing the parchment to become a light pink, and for Draco to look at him in shock.

_"Sorry about it being so amateur, but it still does it job," _Claudius apologised. Hagrid had managed to get the Hippogriff back in its collar, and was trying to pick up Draco to bring him to Madam Pomfrey's. _"You'll need to maybe get stitches if the cut's really deep, but you won't need to go to Madam Pomfrey's if not."_

Hagrid leaned forward and picked up Draco, and the boy remained quiet about it. After a moment of tense silence Hagrid and Draco ran up the pathway to Hogwarts, Draco insulting Hagrid on the way. The class had been stopped then, no one knowing what to do with the Hippogriffs, and the Slytherins had been worrying about Draco too much to continue.

"I'm going to see if he's okay!" Pansy yelled, already hurrying down the school corridor. Her robes billowed around her as she ran, the sheer speed of her sprinting showing how concerned she was. Without thinking, Claudius followed the panicked girl, partly to berate Draco of being so childish to want to be _carried_, and partly to see if the boy was okay.

"What are you doing, freak? Go back with Crabbe and Goyle!" Pansy shouted, stopping for a second to cross her arms at Claudius. Her face held disgust at the boy, and she seemed that she badly wanted to hit him. "You already did enough damage with getting Draco hurt-"

_"I never hurt him!"_

"- and I want to see my poor Draco so I can help him. He doesn't need your weird parchment bandaging, he needs _me_ and _my _help!"

_"I am concerned about him, you stupid brat! Stop crushing on the poor boy and understand that other people care about his wellbeing save from you!"_ His hands moved in a blur, constantly trying to get his point across before the girl lost interest. By the look on her face, though, Pansy was thinking that he was casting some type of spell, and soon the girl had sprinted down the corridor and out of sight.

_"… Brat."_

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><p>It wasn't until dinner that Claudius saw Luna, and he was thankful for the girl's appearance. Crabbe and Goyle had been talking to the other Slytherins (older and younger years also) about the story of Draco's 'attack' from the Hippogriff, and it had begun to become more and more different from the original events; Hagrid's role turned into one of a monster, with him supposedly 'egging on' the creature to attack Draco, whilst Claudius' part sounded more like a heroic act of saving Draco from the 'evil' Hippogriff. He tried to not laugh when the two idiots added themselves in; saying that they wrestled the creature to the ground while Hagrid stood on the side-lines, yelling at the Hippogriff to 'get back up and finish the job'.<p>

_Only an idiot would believe such a story,_ he thought. _Really, there's being stupid, and then there's thinking that something of that calibre could really happen. The two idiots really think they're going to get away with that_

"Buckbeak is a monster! He should be executed for attacking a student, Slytherin or not!"

_I guess this is why Ravenclaw is known for its intelligence, and not Slytherin._

He had sat, perched on the edge of the Slytherin bench, having been pushed to the first-year end by the crowds of Slytherins wanting to hear the story. Food no longer seemed appetising- his mind was preoccupied with other things than food- so he had been watching the rest of the Great Hall when Luna had caught his eye. Waving like a maniac, the girl had hurried towards him and proceeded to drag him back with her to the Ravenclaw table (much to the surprise to both Slytherin and Ravenclaw alike).

"You looked bored so I thought you could sit here, away from the Slytherins," she explained. "I've been wanting to talk with you too, but since we have different lessons we haven't been able to. You don't mind sitting with the second-years? (I'm a second-year, I lied about my age for fun.) They won't bother you, promise."

_"Oh, it's okay."_

"Great!"

When dinner finally ended the two had walked out still talking about a supposed hive of Nargles living in the Gryffindor common room, laughing when they were given strange looks by the other students. Claudius was handed a better charm (Luna said that the cork would protect him more) before reluctantly walking back to the Slytherin common room.

"… The two are so weird, they talk about creatures that don't even exist!"

"And the boy, Claudius, right?... Well, he can't even speak and he tried to burn the Sorting Hat! And he's _Malfoy's_ friend; he even helped him when he got attacked by Buckbeak!"

Claudius walked past the people speaking, face red from anger and his hands enclosed around Luna's charm. Just when he had begun to think that this school wasn't too bad, a group had started to talk about him and insult him… it was only a matter of time before the bullying happened.

He passed a trio of third-years, not bothering to check their house and instead shoving past them. When one of them yelled at him in protest, he smirked, a small feeling of satisfaction washing over him at the accomplishment. He could still hear them, their mutterings becoming fainter, but the feeling remained.

"There's something about him, something strange. He shouldn't be in Hogwarts, he's too 'out-there' for it. Did you see him in Divination? He was _crying_, for Merlin's sake! Even Harry didn't cry when he got a death prophecy, and all Claudius did was stare into tea leaves!"

"He's isn't that bad! He's just weird- but we all are!"

"Maybe- but he isn't normal."

"He's strange."

"He's like you. We don't know what's different about him, but it's something."

"Claudius is nothing like Harry! If anything he's like You-Know- Who!"

Claudius, anger flowing through his system, swung his hand into the stone wall next to him, punching it with all his strength. Pain overpowering rage, he quickly hurried down the stairs to the Slytherin common room, covering his bloody knuckles with his robes. He remembered that Draco had mentioned Harry once, saying that he was an idiot who deserved none of the fame he got. Now, having heard the same boy and his friends insulting him, he was on Draco's side.

Harry Potter was a bully, or becoming one…

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><p>Later that night Filch made a round near the Slytherin common room, and found a peculiar dent in the stone. There were cracks and a small trail of dust surrounding the indentation, the tiniest smear of blood in the centre.<p>

"Looks like a weird spell," he had muttered to himself. "But I've never seen it before."

When he had walked away to go find Dumbledore, the stone reset as the blood turned black before disappearing, removing any signs that a spell had taken place. When the caretaker had returned, nothing strange could be seen on the stone- almost as if it had never happened.

"What happened, it was here!" Filch had asked in protest. Dumbledore gave him a questioning look before turning around to walk down the corridor.

"It's a spell, Filch, and a powerful one at that.

"We need to keep an eye out for anything strange. This isn't the end, Filch."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon… Everyone will."

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><p><strong>So <strong>mysterious <strong> Dumbledore! Slightly cruel Golden Trio! Weird spells! _(Why is my story becoming so weird?!)_  
><strong>

**I will update my story in a week or so- unless my computer decides to be cruel to me again!  
><strong>

**-Holly**


	8. Chapter Seven

**Sorry for the wait, but *puts on cool sunglasses* I don't follow a schedule. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter  
><strong>

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><p><em>"I can't believe you really got a sling, Draco." <em>Claudius smirked at the 'injured' boy, knowing already that the blonde was enjoying himself immensely. _"Though I must say, the look on Pansy's face was incredible. Fear mixed in with shock, I think."_

"More like the idea of her only 'true love' being disabled for life," Draco joked in return. After being asked politely by Madame Pomfrey to help and accompany Draco through Hogwarts, the two boys had spent a large amount of time joking amongst themselves. "She's seen me three times and is still surprised; like I've sprouted another head, or my arm has been lopped off completely."

_"She's infatuated with you, so she's probably spent the majority of that time looking at your face… or your body,"_ Claudius added with a quiet chuckle. Draco stared at him momentarily, hand poised on the entranceway to the Potions' classroom, before joining in with his laughter. When entering, the two had quietened down, but started up again when the girl gossiped about prior had glanced at Draco in concern.

_"Definitely infatuated."_

"Certainly."

Draco set up his cauldron, openly laughing when Claudius dropped his own and tripped over the fallen equipment's handle. The two were right next to Harry and Ron, with Draco complaining heavily about his arm, and Claudius turning the Potion book this way and that since the words made no sense to him. _Shrivelfig? What in the world is a Shrivelfig? When upside-down, it looks like a weird language, so it must be a Shrivelfig I have to get, _the young boy panicked. _Then I have to _peel_ it? But I don't even know what the bloody thing looks like!_

"Weasley, trade roots with Malfoy." Snape said in a cold voice. The red head fumed in silent protest. "Granger, since you've memorised every potion for this term, go and help Grey."

Obviously displeased, the girl made her way around the classroom, eyes set on the rocky ground beneath her. Tucked under her arm was her own copy of 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi', the pages frayed from constant use. Though her hair should've been tied back, the frizzy mane stuck out at odd angles, and the darkening under her brown eyes gave an almost crazy appearance. She hadn't bothered about her appearance (that much was obvious) but the grace that surrounded her contradicted everything that could be seen.

"Hello." Voice clipped and poised, hands at the ready as she stood next to him. Her figure was imposing; tall and straight like a teachers', with a book being skimmed through by sharp fingers. Cold brown eyes flickered over to him several times when the girl began explaining everything in a slow, drawn-out voice. And it was only when he requested that she told him her name, she did it, albeit hesitantly, "Hermione Granger. I'm a Muggle, but Malfoy probably told you so already."

_"He called you Granger, and a Mudblood- whatever that is."_

"Thought as much."

She began to pick up different ingredients, handing him them and telling Claudius what to do. In the background, they could hear Snape berating a shaking Neville, and Hermione disappeared only to be ushered back by the same teacher. Once rid of the two Slytherins, the Golden Trio had begun to talk amongst themselves, turning round when the disabled boys required assistance.

"Five points from Gryffindor each for not concentrating during class," Snape commented cruelly. He didn't notice the angry red tint that covered Ron's face, nor the annoyed gleam in Harry's eyes as Hermione ducked her head in self-anger.

"I shouldn't have done that, I let myself be caught up in gossip," he heard Hermione say to herself. _Wow, she's pretty angry at herself,_ Claudius thought in surprise. _But does the point system really matter? All they're going to get is an ornament with a different coloured bow and a few banners at the end of the school year, not _that _much to be happy about. Must be a weird tradition or something…_

He saw Draco smirk, _tradition. Definitely tradition. _

_"I heard you talking about me yesterday, you were saying mean things."_ He watched Hermione look up from her book, he had worded his sentences carefully, playing up to the innocent, scared little boy that most people took him as. If he acted innocent, then he might've gotten information from the girl that was impossible to do so otherwise. _"You called me strange, and talked about me badly behind my back."_ One large blue eye and a small pout on his lips, good acting and a cunning mind- the extremely intelligent girl had fallen right into his trap.

"That wasn't us." Her voice was stiff and unwavering, having replied too quickly for it to be true. "We don't talk about others like that-" a small scoff from Draco about their heroic attitude, and a roll of eyes from Harry. "- we're not mean."

_Play up to innocence, she's getting out of the trap! Act, lie, whatever- just do it quickly! _His thoughts screamed as he wrote down his reply, laying on the guilt with an uneasy conscious. When he had been bullied at his old school he had either lashed out or played pathetic, since both were the best outcomes. Attacking meant he may've been hurt back, but he was avoided for a while afterwards, and playing pathetic could sometimes just get him a punch or two.

He wouldn't attack Hermione until she tried to attack him, so playing pathetic it was.

_"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I just don't like it when people insult me because I got that a lot before I came here, and I don't want to be reminded of the past."_

"Past?"

_"Bullies, other orphans, caretakers and teachers hated me. Potential foster parents, too. No one liked me because they thought I was creepy, and therefore unwanted. So the past brings out painful memories, and I don't want to remember them."_

"You were bullied?" Hermione's voice was squeaky and her face flushed a pale pink. Guilt shone in her eyes, her lip caught between her teeth, eyes darting around to Harry and Ron. "I… I hope that the insults stop, then. Wouldn't want a fellow student to be sad, right?"

One shrinking and growing toad later, and the class finished with Neville somehow not killing his frog, a worried Hermione, and a cauldron full of half-finished potion. Claudius smiled to himself when Hermione's eyes darted at him only to look away; _one bully down, two to go._

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><p><strong>Okay, so this is quite a short chapter, but I wrote a lot and had to split it into two. Also, I'm really happy with how the friendship between Draco and Claudius is going, because I feel that Claudius needs a few pals along with Luna.<br>**

**The next one'll be up next week, so see you then!-Holly**


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